A Poetic Dwelling Amidst Mountains and Waters

🌟 Xingping Ancient Town: A Millennium Time Capsule by the Li River

"The moment the bamboo raft glided across the river, I felt like I'd traveled back into an ancient painting." This was my most genuine feeling standing at Xingping Wharf. With over 1,700 years of history, this ancient town is a living fossil of Guilin's landscape culture and the most poetic existence along the Li River.

🏯 Past and Present
Xingping Ancient Town was first built in 265 AD during the Wu Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period, once the most prosperous commercial port along the Li River. It's said that Xu Xiake described in his travelogue: "The scenery here resembles Yangshuo, yet surpasses it in wonder and beauty." Today, over 90% of the ancient architecture retains its Ming and Qing dynasty appearance, with old streets, houses, and wharves still breathing with millennium-old life.

🌊 Must-Visit Cultural Landmarks
1️⃣ 20 Yuan RMB Background Viewing Platform
Story: The scene featured on the back of the 1999 fifth series 20 yuan note. Locals often say the most exquisite section of the Li River landscape was printed on this bill.
Experience: When I held up a 20 yuan note to compare with the actual view, I noticed the fisherman casting his net in the painting was positioned near the river island. Best visited at dawn or dusk for the softest light.

2️⃣ Fishing Village Old Houses
Story: Well-preserved Ming-Qing architectural complex with 36 courtyards hidden among grey bricks and tiles. Most remarkable are the "three carvings" - brick, wood, and stone carvings, with bat motifs on lintels symbolizing "fortune arrival."
Tip: Follow the copper coin markers on stone paths to find authentic oil tea workshops.

3️⃣ Rongtan Ancient Ferry
Story: A wharf existing since the Three Kingdoms period, where Tang poet Cao Ye wrote: "Night markets sell water chestnuts, spring boats carry fine silks." You can still see deep rope marks on the mooring stones.
Experience: I imitated locals by buying freshly caught Li River fish at the ferry, and the beer fish cooked on-site was unforgettable.

4️⃣ Xingping Old Street
History: A 1.5km flagstone road connecting 12 alleys, once a trading center for Zhuang brocade and Guangxi cloth during Ming-Qing dynasties. Notice the "triple eaves" on arcades - a signature of Lingnan architecture.
Discovery: At "Huangyaoji," I tasted osmanthus jelly made with ancient methods, its recipe passed down six generations.

At dusk, standing before the old opera stage watching sunset gild the dark tiles, Xingping feels like a corner forgotten by time, still preserving the ancient charm of "ferry bathed in afterglow, lone smoke rising from village." Remember to slow your pace here, letting millenniums flow gently through your fingers.